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5 Dating Apps Giving Tinder Some Stiff Competition

Tinder may have invented swiping left and right, but the game of dating is as old as time, so there really are no rules when it comes to how a connection should spark. One can only expect some competitors to enter the dating app ring with fresh ideas about the meeting of men and women. If Tinder hasn't taken off for you (or even if it has), give these five apps a try. Everyone is talking about them.

Bumble

It's Tinder... in a world where girls make the first move. After you and your prospective partner have both swiped right, the lady has to say hello (or what-have-you) within 24 hours or the connection disappears forever.

Why we like it: While many Tinder conversations don't even begin, or take weeks to lift off, Bumble forces people to start chatting right away. Because the clock's tickin' in real life, too.

Happn

It's Tinder... for stalkers. (We jest.) The prospective dates that show up in your Happn feed are those who you've actually crossed paths with at some point during the day. Maybe you were driving through the same intersection at once, or strolling down Main St. simultaneously: wherever and whenever, Happn is tracking your every move via GPS. You can see where exactly you crossed paths with a cutie, and if you're into he or she, you can heart them (like Tinder) or "charm," them, which is to directly say: "I want to run into you on purpose next time."

Why we like it: The several-mile radius you set for your Tinder profile limits you to users nearby wherever you are when you finally have downtime to scroll. Happn, on the other hand, connects you with people who could conveniently located to anywhere you go, be it your office, the weekly errands you run, or the local bar you visited on a getaway.

The League

It's Tinder... for the elite. Currently located only in San Francisco (and soon to be in New York and London), The League is a "members-only" app (you have to apply or be invited by another user) which accepts users who have been carefully selected and approved. They tend to have advanced degrees, be in their late 20s, and be career driven. Once you're in—should you be so lucky—the app rates you on your flakiness to deter users from ignoring messages or overswiping.

Why we like it: We believe in the powder of editing. It's about quality, not quantity.

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Wyldfire

It's Tinder... in a world where women hold the keys to the castle. Instead of being curated by the app's team itself, the members have been sleected by the app's female users, creating a layer of vetting.

Why we like it: The riff-raff count is low. The app's "Jetsetter" feature allows you to search for matches where you're not located, meaning you can tee up weeknight plans at home while you're away for the weekend.